Review

Camille Saint-Saëns
Cavatine: in D-flat major Op.144

Arranged by Benjamin Coy

tenor trombone and orchestra. 2,2,2,2-2,2,3,1, timpani x3, strings, bass drum, and suspended cymbal

Vancouver, BC, , Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2013
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with orchestra

The solo trombone part has a range of GG-flat to d-flat2 and is given in bass and tenor clefs as appropriate. The transcription is for full orchestra, 2,2,2,2-2,2,3,1, timpani x3, strings, bass drum, and suspended cymbal. The scoring includes multiple doublings on winds and in the brass section, where they are significantly problematic. In one passage first horn and second trombone are a 5th apart with the resultant mediant doubled on second horn; in another, trombone and horn are in unison. This writing will inevitably result in poor intonation; conflicts in the overtone series from different partial sets are only partly resolved by playing slightly ‘out of tune.’ The orchestration is dedicated to Joe Duchi, who is Associate Professor of Trombone at Ohio State University School of Music in Columbus. Production of the score is at this publisher’s usual exemplary standard. Ronald Barron contributes an extensive and interesting account of the origins of this piece. Dr. Coy is brass instructor at South Texas College in McAllen, TX.